


see me to your shore

by mayachain



Series: birthday!verse [42]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Herbology, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Summer Vacation, imminent war, pre-Seventh Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-09 01:15:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11658555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: Four times Neville fought a sense of trepidation on his birthday.





	see me to your shore

**July 30th, 1987**

Neville leaned out of his window to discover what progress the Crimson Ivy had made during the night climbing the wall on the north side of the house. Doing so had become a routine this past week, but right now it was also a way to put off leaving his room. The last time he’d seen his relatives – 

He’d never before been so cold. He’d never before coughed so desperately. He’d never before thought he was going to die.

Aunt Enid and Uncle Algie loved him, he knew that. They wanted what was best for him. His parents had been brave and courageous mighty wizards, especially his father, and all they and Gran wanted was help him find that same strength inside. Neville was just a little afraid of what Uncle Algie might try next to push Neville’s magic to the fore. 

If it even existed. If he wasn’t a squib after all. 

In the here and now, the Crimson Ivy looked determined to reach the window by Sunday. There was no need to stay here much longer. “I’ll be fine,” Neville told the creeping plant. He knew better than to slip outside and hide in the wilds of the garden anyway. He _had_ to go downstairs in time to greet them. There was nothing else.

One slightly more lilac vine wavered just a tad. It seemed to regard the way his hands were gripping the windowsill rather sceptically. That was all right. It was not it Neville had to convince he’d be back here tonight.

 

**July 30th, 1997**

“Just a second!” Neville called toward the porch from the small non-magical part of Gran’s garden - _his_ garden, officially, as of today. There were still three more flowers he wanted to pick to place at his mother’s bedside. He’d left a fresh bouquet by his father’s bed the day before yesterday, but there could hardly be enough visits between September and now as far as Neville was concerned. 

It was so quiet in Diagon Alley, now. All wizarding streets Britain over were the same. There was still the faintest of hope in the air that peace might prevail, but all summer everyone Neville knew had vigorously been making plans, not knowing what would await them. Neville himself had even practiced Defense with Gran.

For the first time in his life, he’d found himself grateful for Gran’s and Aunt Enid’s old women’s network because it helped keep them apprised of what was going on. Between the network and the _Quibbler_ they almost had eyes and ears on reliable information.

Judging by the owl he’d gotten from her, Hermione would not be at Hogwarts this year. Neville was filled with dread and hope pondering what _that_ might mean. Ginny was busy helping with her brother’s wedding but both she and Luna had answered every message he’d sent. With any luck he’d come across one of the others in London today.

He gingerly selected another rose and turned back to where Gran, Uncle Algie and Aunt Enid were waiting for him. Gran had assumed the stance she always adopted for dueling. Neville thought grimly that he would leave come September safe in the knowledge just _how_ formidable she was. “Coming!” he yelled. 

When they returned, it would be time for tea and presents. Uncle Algie had hinted that Neville ought to have a spare wand now that he was an adult, but regardless of the world heading towards war a part of Neville was still holding out for a book depicting plants no-one had as yet managed to grow in Britain.

‘Please let it not be the last tea like this us four have,’ he thought as Aunt Enid offered him her arm.

 

**July 30th, 2007**

“The bargain,” Neville told Astoria as they spread out the blanket over the sand, “is that we’ll spend the first half of today with you Slytherins. Siiince Draco will have to suffer through dinner at the Potters’ tonight _and_ tea with my relatives beforehand.”

“Poor Draco,” Astoria said.

Poor Draco had merely raised an eyebrow and brushed up on his Muggle repellant spells when Neville had invited the others to the Blackpool beach, and shaken his head in despair at the sight of the books Millicent had brought with her.

_”Impervious,_ Neville heard and turned away from the blanket to see the tell-tale shimmer as Greg’s waterproofiing spell took hold on said books. “Well done,” the teacher in him let out. Daphne, tense as she had been ever since she’d last met up with Nott, agreed that Greg had every reason to be proud.

Neville exchanged a glance with Draco. Since she was here, Neville felt reasonably confident they would be told if there was anything either of them could do. “My Aunt Enid says the sea has some rare potions ingredients about a mile out,” he suggested nevertheless.

“Greengrass sister race destination!” Astoria rejoiced. Score. Millicent huffed and demonstratively settled down in the shade. 

Now Neville only had to cast a warming charm undetected before Draco could think to tip a toe into the water.

 

**July 30th, 2017**

“Entering the cave now,” Draco’s Patronus intoned. Neville watched it fade and forced himself to breathe.

The cursed stalactite the others were seeking out had been deemed ‘easy’ by at least three experts. Not so easy that Teddy having the back-up of hardened wizards wasn’t justified, but easy enough. It was good for Remus and Severus to be out _doing_ instead of giving talks about doing, as they had done seemingly for months on end.

“It’s great that that you’ve agreed to give our Scottish bees a try,” Neville pronounced once the Patronus had vanished. 

A central leaf trembled in query. 

“Luna is with them, they will be fine,” Neville said. It wasn’t even as if he could have contributed that much. Curse-breaking wasn’t his profession. ‘Nor is it Draco’s,’ he thought.

Rustling.

“Did you overhear the bet we made?” Neville asked. “How many tries it’ll take Teddy to succeed, and how long they’ll be gone before Luna figures out the family secret?” Severus had refused to place a bet, but he’d still gone to accompany Teddy without a word of protest against Luna’s presence. “Four tries and two hours was my bid.”

The Wingnindel rustled some more.

“Are you trying to calm me down, twig?” Neville smiled. As far as surviving travel and taking root in a foreign country was concerned, a show of care for its chosen Herbologist was a promising sign. 

 

.


End file.
